Car truck



July 26,1927. 1,636,837

D. R. RICHARDS f GAR TRUCK Filed Aug. 14, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 jawel /Zfix/z @fda July 26,1927. 1.636,83?

D. R. RICHARDS CAR TRUCK Filed Aug. l14, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 iorfzey.

Patented July 26, 1927.

UNITED :DAYlD B.. RIGHBDS, 0F ST. LOUIS, MISSOUlKI.

QAR TRUCK( My inventonrelates to cartruoks, and, kit

'is a distin'etland pratiealf improvement to overcome Vcertain piraticalobjections to, and defects in the rigid type o ffea'rftrueks. Theobjeotof'my invention fis'toeonstruct a ar-trnek Consisting of side iframemembers each formed c ntwo' op'posedsectinsliingedly connectedmbeirimiernds- A further obiectbf theinventinn is ,to provide the innerends oitheframe'sections with slottq o pening'sto receive, the hinge pin.thereby providing a flexible ear @fname .to

eliminate undue' friction'. f the oar V wheel il'anges with the rails`whenfrnunding curves. A still .furthe'rbbjet ofltheinyention is toprovide eonip'ression springs between each frame section and the bolsterIto i normally hold the .frame sections in their extended lrelation withAeachother and yetpermit flex- 'ing of Vthe side frames midwfaytheirendsfin rounding curves. i

Adurther object of my invention isthe yprovisionot a cargtr'uckfwliich`will possess advantages'in points of simplieityand eiliciency', and, atthe'sametime prove itself eomparatively inexpensive in manufacture Withthe above and other'objectsinview, as will .be apparent ,he'reinaftenthe invention eonsists in theinovel features of construction,arrangement antl'combinati-on of parts hereinafter more 'ful1y describedand nally pointed outV the claims hereto appended. Y

` Referring tothe accompanying drawings forming a. part 'ofthisspecilicatiom wherein like. characters of reference' denote similarparts throughout the 'several Views:

Fig. 1 is a side elevationyof a car-truck embodying thefeatures of myinvention.

Fig- 2 is atop rlanvew .thaw-i Fig. 3 is a detail ofi-the hinge pin.

Fig. 4 is a. detail of'one o Athe ebushings.

Fig. 5 isa detailof theihinge connection between thetwo sections of aside fname.

A Referring to the drawings, the reference ynumeral.1 represents.thecarwheels, 2', the axles and 3, the journalboxes, all of v which may be ofthe ordinary oonstruction.

In carryingoutthe aim of my invention, I employ two side truck framemembers. Each kof the truck side frame members consists of two seetions4 and 5. Sections4 areeach l Provided .withthwppef erm. 6 .eediheilewerarin'?. The saidarms6 and 7 are' provided with Vslotted openings 8 and9, respectively. Seetinns 5 are eaehjprovided. .wth fthe upper arm ,1Qand the lriw'er arm 11. The arms V10 fand 11 are providedQwiththeslotted openings'lf vand 13respe'ctivel'y.

"Albushing 14 is positioned in each oi' `the slotted openings 8 and 9ofarms 6 and v7, l'While' alike bushing'lds positionedin eaeh yoftheslotted openings '12 and 13 of arms l1() and 11. A suitablehinge pin`.16is receivable i'n, the,bushings 1 4l and 15.4. The uppier end :1T of thepin is larger in diameter, than the flowereiid ythereof r and the .lowerend of the upper. s 'e etion' 1 7 ofjpin l1 6 fis screw threaded to.receive ia nut 18 which is .lockedagainst rota ;ionj by, la V suitablekev.,19 fior .frictionally holdingarms and 10 between thehead 2O y ofpin 16 and the .nnt,18.. .The lower end of 16 alsotlireadedfand carriesa nut 21 .which fis held'fagainst rotation .by means o a .key 22, saidlatter nut engaging. the lower f a ce of' ,the lower arm I11 of section5, as 'olearlyshownimFig 3. This arrangement of parts, i it will beobserved, provides a .hinged, or. flexible Vconnection between lthe sideramemembers 4 and 5 which will tend toneluoe .the binding effeet o -fthe car wheel llanges with the railswhenrounding curves.

SpannmgJthe space between the two Atruclay side frame' members andconnecting hinge pins 16 Iis alower spring supporting `channelplateiipon which ismounted `four suitable coiledompression springs 24ladiaeent eaehhinge pin 1 6. EEach spring 24 is prolvided. xat eachendwith a suitable c ap 25 and aninverted channel plate26 is seated upon.the caps 25 seated uponthe upper ends of the springs 24. A suitablebolster plate ,27 is n inunted uponthe upper ehannelfplate v26 aI 1d,thehinge pins 16, it will be observed, pass through slotted Qpeningsat each end of the bolster plate 27 and the upper and `lowerehannelplates 26 and 2 3.

.A suitablemale bearing plate 28 zhaving an opening forthehinge pins 16is fixed to the lower face of ithe lower channel plate QSand engages afemale `bearing plate29 ixedfto the upper face-of the lowerarm 7 ot eaehside vframe .section member4.

E aiihpf ithe vertical members 30 of the side i `r ame members 4 .and 5are provided `with one nr more yhorizontallydisposed sock- (lll cts 3l.A suitable coiled compression spring 32 is seatedin each of the sockets31 with their inner ends engaging side walls of the channeled bolsterplates 23 and 26, as clearly shown in Fig. 5 for normally holding theside trame members el and 5 in their eX- tended positions. lt will beherel observed that the springs 32 will permit the side Atrame membersupon the inside et a curvev in the track to move toward eachl othery dueto the slotted pin receivingopenings 8 and of frame members l andslotted openings l2 and 13 oit trame members 5 to shorten the distancebetween the wheels on that side of the truclr which overcomes the flangeresistance upon the rails, which resistance is great in rigid truckconstruction. As soon as the truclr has rounded the curve, the springs32 will expand thereby moving` the hinged side trame members back totheir normal extended position, while the wheels are rolling upon astraight track.

rlfhe ends et the arms 6 and 7 of the side trame members 4- areconnected by means of the laterally arched connecting members 33. Theends of the arms l0 and 11 et the side trame members 5 are alsoconnected by means of laterally arched connecting members 34, whichmembers or arms 33 and 34 serve to strengthen the inner ends ot the arms6 and 7 and thearms 10 and 11. The connecting members 33 and Mare archedlaterally to permit turning movements of the side members and to preventstriking the arms oit' the connected side frame members While the truckis rounding a curve.

From the foregoing description, it is evident that I provide a truck,having flexible or hinged side trame members or sections, which will,when rounding a curve, move `toward each other on' the inside of thecurve and remain extended on the outside oi" the curve due to theslotted openings through which the hinge pins pass and the coiledsprings The coiled springs 32 upon that. s'de oi the truck which istaking `the inside oi the curve are 'compressed in rounding the curve soas to slierten the side trame to bring the wheels closer together, as ismanin lest and clearly shown in dotted lines in F 2.

The many ad antages of the herein decribed invention will readilysuggest them 4,selves to those skilled in the art to which itappertains.

l do not wish to be understood as having limited myself to the exactdetails of con-v struction shown and described, but desire to have itunderstood that the invention I have shown in the drawings is merelyillustrative,

as it is manifest that various minor changes` may be made inthe exactconstruction and particular arrangement of parts without departing fromthe spirit of my invention, hence I reserve the right to make any suchchanges, or modifications, as may fairly fall within the scope of theappended claims when fairly construed.

l/Vhat I claim is: 4

l. A side trame for tour wheel caretrucks comprising two substantiallylike sections having slotted hinge connection at their inner ends forflexibly uniting said sections.

2. A side frame for four wheel car-trucks comprising` two substantiallylike traine sections having extending longitudinally slotted arms, and ahinge pin passing through the slotted arms of said sections to provide aunit side fra-ine capable of being shortened upon the inside o1c a curveand lengthened upenthe outside of a curve.

3. A side frame for car-trucks compris!` ing two substantially likesections, a bolt hingedly connecting said sections and said sectionshaving slotted openings for receiving the hinge pin.

4;. A side frame for car-trucks comprising two separable sections,resilient means for normally holding the sections in their extendedrelation, means for hingedly connecting said sections at their innerends and said sections having slotted openings for receiving the meansfor hingedly connecting the same. Y

5. In a cantruclr structure, a pair of wheel supported side trames, saidtrames each consisting of two sections hingedly united by means of aslot and pin connection, a spring supporting plate, an upper plateyieldingly. mounted above said spring supporting plate, resilient meansfor normally holding the two sections o'l each side l'ran'ie in theirextended relationY and a bolster mounted upon said upper plate.

6. ln a car-*truck structure, a pair olf wheel supported side trames,said :trames each consisting; oli two sections hingedly united by meansof a slot and pin connection, a spring supporting plate, a bearing plateconnection between the spring supporting plate and one ot said side4trannie sections, an upper plateyieldingly mounted above said springsupporting plate, resilient means for normally holding the two sectionsyoi" each side Ytrame in their extended relation and a bol ster mountedupon said upper plate.

'l'. In a car-truck structure, a pair of wheel supported side frameseach consisting of two sections provided with upper and lower inwardlydirected arms, the arms oi." one sec tion adapted to engage the arms oi'the other section in overlapping relation and said arms *being providedwith vertically disposed slotted openings,.bushings receivable in theslotted openings of the, upper arms, bushings receivable in the slottedopenings of the lower arms, a hinge pin receivable in lsaid bushings,fixed means for locking said pin against downwarddisplaeement,adjustable means to prevent the pin from uplill) lil) Ward displacement,a spring supporting channel plate Connecting the hinge pins of oppositeside iframes, a plurality ot' coiled springs surrounding each pin, anupper channel plate mounted upon said springs and Connecting saidopposed hinge pins, resilient means interposed between each seotion ofeach side frame and the aforesaid channel plates to normally hold theside trame sections in their extended relation l0 and a bolster platemounted upon the upper channel plate and having Connection with saidhinge pins.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name to thespecifica-tion.

DAVID R. RICHARDS.

